Aboard a cruise ship carrying 2,000 naked passengers, clothing is optional almost everywhere, but one surprisingly strict rule means guests must cover up or risk breaking the dress code.
For travelers who prefer to leave their clothes behind, Bare Necessities offers an unusual way to see the world, bringing thousands of people together for vacations where nudity is part of everyday life.
But anyone expecting a ship without restrictions might be surprised by the rules passengers must follow, including one that applies to everyone when it’s time to eat.
Kat Whitmire, a longtime organizer with Bare Necessities, explained the reasoning behind the tour company’s unusual guidelines in a 2023 conversation with Business Insider.
‘Being nude is not sexual’
Whitmire’s experience with the company stretches back years, starting when a photographer friend invited Whitmire and her husband to work as models on one of its cruises. They later returned as general staff, and she joined the sales team in 2010 before eventually becoming a full-time organizer.
Through her work, Whitmire – now about 63 years old – has helped create vacations for people who see being naked around others as a normal, enjoyable experience rather than something provocative.
“Our way of traveling isn’t for everyone. Not everyone understands what nudism is all about, and that’s OK. If you’re curious, this way of travel might be what you’re looking for,” she told the outlet, adding “To us, being nude is not sexual or anything to be ashamed of.”
But that freedom comes with boundaries, particularly when it comes to respecting other passengers’ privacy and maintaining a comfortable atmosphere.
“We have rules aboard the ship,” she said. “The most important one is that you have to ask permission before taking a photo with someone else in it.”
She also addressed how men are expected to handle an awkward physical reaction.
“Men can’t be overly excited. We say that if they start to feel things around moving down there, jump in cold water, or think about baseball.”
‘No nips, no bits, and no butts’
One of the clearest restrictions concerns the formal dining room, where passengers are expected to dress for dinner regardless of how little they’ve worn throughout the day.
The requirement serves a practical purpose, particularly when servers are carrying hot meals between tables.
“Dinner in the formal dining room has a dress code, largely because the waitstaff carries trays of hot food. ‘No nips, no bits, and no butts’ is what I always say to remind people of our dinner-dress code,” Whitmire explained.
And the company doesn’t consider a few strategically placed pieces of fabric sufficient.
“Dinner is the only time guests must wear real clothes – no mesh, nothing see-through, and nothing made of string.”
While dinner requires passengers to cover up, there’s another occasion when clothing becomes part of the fun rather than a requirement.
Nudists love costumes
Some of the company’s most popular events encourage guests to put together elaborate outfits, proving that even people who prefer going without clothes enjoy dressing up occasionally.
“We’ve repeated some wildly popular theme nights. Nudists, surprisingly, love costumes,” she said, recalling one passenger whose creativity left her laughing harder than she could remember.
“My favorite costume ever was a man who dressed as a tequila bottle. He had a cork on his head. His body was the bottle. You just have to imagine what the worm was. I never laughed so hard in my life,” she explained.
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